If you are a parent or teacher of a young teen girl between the ages of 12 – 17, and your child likes music, this is for you!!
My name is Laura and I am a singer, songwriter, producer and teacher from a small town in Rhode Island. Growing up I was shy, awkward, and uncomfortable in my skin. I definitely went through a phase around 14/15 where I would only wear long sleeves and long pants because I hated my body so much. 🙁 I never got asked to a school dance (including prom), never had a boyfriend until after college, and never got invited to a high school party.
It wasn’t even that people didn’t like me, but I didn’t like myself, and it showed.
However, there was one thing that made everything better for me; that was music.
Music was my one escape from the awkward uncomfortableness that was my teenage life. It made me feel talented and beautiful and expressive and like there was a place for me through this special skill I had developed. When I would sing and play the piano, I felt connected to people in a way I couldn’t find anywhere else, like there was something in music that made my vulnerability and truth resonant with even the coolest of kids. It took MANY years of stepping out of my comfort zone, believing in myself just enough to fake it till I made it, and really finding my true self through all of it.
Fast forward 15 years and I have now traveled all over the US performing for over 100,000 people and worked in Hollywood writing for one of the top film composers in the music industry.
I now teach young women (just like my former self) how to nurture their gifts, find their self worth and confidence, and be empowered through piano, voice, and vocal performance.
It has been the joy of my life uncovering my own insecurities, self doubt and feelings of worthlessness, to find my true power, self love, and confidence and be able to share it with these young queens. Music is still my safe place from grown up things lol 🙂 And performing and working with other musicians has come with some incredible opportunities, but there is an indescribable magic that happens when I get to be a part of a young woman’s journey to self love discovery and using music as the vehicle to do so. I have had countless lessons bring me to tears as I watch these young women blossom before my eyes. Starting their lessons not even being able to sing in front of me, to full on performances of young women power magic!
As a parent or teacher, we so desperately want our young girls to understand how precious and valuable they are, but when you tell them, they just scream at you, hate themselves, say “you don’t understand” etc. How do I know? Cause I did all those things too.
Here’s the secret…you probably can’t just tell them and they’ll listen, but you CAN empower them with understanding and truth to help them discover it on their own! It took me years of sifting and sorting through life to get to that realization, but I’m so thankful that my journey to self love through music has now been a catalyst for so many other young women to learn how to be empowered and love themselves through their passion for music.
If this story resonated with you, or maybe reminds you of a young woman you know, please leave a comment below, or click here to schedule a call. I will be offering my next Unseen to Young Queen Empowerment through Music Course starting on April 18th, 2021. spots are limited. Let’s connect and empower the next generation of young women through the power of music.
Laura Dowding is our newest advertiser here on Music Matters Blog, and we are grateful for her support of the online music education community! If you are interested in finding out more about how you can promote your company, event, or product, just send us an e-mail and we will let you know about our advertising packages.
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